Arizona State Retirement System Grows Stock Holdings in Walmart Inc. $WMT

Arizona State Retirement System boosted its stake in shares of Walmart Inc. (NASDAQ:WMT – Free Report) by 1.3% during the 2nd quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The firm owned 1,216,703 shares of the retailer’s stock after buying an additional 15,676 shares during the quarter. Walmart accounts for approximately 0.7% of Arizona State Retirement System’s portfolio, making the stock its 23rd largest holding. Arizona State Retirement System’s holdings in Walmart were worth $137,804,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

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Other hedge funds also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Merkkuri Wealth Advisors LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Walmart in the 1st quarter worth approximately $29,000. Entrust Financial LLC acquired a new position in Walmart during the fourth quarter worth $27,000. Montgomery Financial Services LLC acquired a new position in Walmart during the second quarter worth $32,000. Sankala Group LLC purchased a new stake in Walmart during the fourth quarter worth $33,000. Finally, Turim 21 Investimentos Ltda. purchased a new stake in Walmart during the first quarter worth $37,000. 26.76% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Insider Activity

In other news, EVP David Guggina sold 11,978 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, June 10th. The shares were sold at an average price of $119.82, for a total value of $1,435,203.96. Following the completion of the transaction, the executive vice president owned 125,067 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $14,985,527.94. The trade was a 8.74% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available at the SEC website. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Also, EVP Daniel Bartlett sold 3,950 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, September 1st. The shares were sold at an average price of $105.14, for a total transaction of $415,303.00. Following the transaction, the executive vice president directly owned 622,349 shares in the company, valued at $65,433,773.86. The trade was a 0.63% decrease in their position. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. In the last ninety days, insiders have sold 81,242 shares of company stock valued at $8,836,446. 0.09% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders.

Walmart News Summary

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Here are the key news stories impacting Walmart this week:

Positive Sentiment: AI positioning could support long-term growth. TD Cowen identified Walmart as one of the retailers best positioned to benefit from artificial intelligence, including more personalized shopping, improved inventory management and greater operating efficiency. Walmart, Ulta and Other Retailers That Can Win With AI
Positive Sentiment: Opioid settlement removes a major legal overhang. Walmart agreed to pay $50 million to resolve a federal opioid case, substantially below the potential multibillion-dollar liability previously suggested by the Justice Department. The relatively modest settlement limits financial damage, although compliance and reputational concerns remain. Walmart Settles a Potential Multibillion-Dollar Opioid Case for $50 Million
Positive Sentiment: Advertising is improving Walmart’s profit mix. The company’s expanding advertising business is generating higher-margin revenue as digital sales grow, potentially supporting earnings and profitability over time. Walmart’s Ad Business Expands: Can High-Margin Growth Lift Profits?
Neutral Sentiment: Defensive appeal may attract investors before CPI and the Fed decision. Walmart is being highlighted alongside other defensive companies as a relatively stable retailer during macroeconomic uncertainty. However, interest-rate expectations and inflation data could influence the broader market more than company-specific news. 5 Defensive Stocks to Watch as CPI and the Fed Put the Rally to the Test
Neutral Sentiment: Analyst commentary remains favorable but highlights relative underperformance. Jim Cramer said he would buy Walmart after its recent weakness, while noting that Target’s turnaround has attracted more attention. The comments may support sentiment but do not change Walmart’s earnings outlook. Jim Cramer Says Buy Walmart as Target’s Turnaround Gains Momentum
Negative Sentiment: Near-term profit growth could face pressure. While advertising is a promising high-margin growth engine, expected Vibe-related costs may weigh on fiscal 2027 earnings growth. Walmart’s premium valuation makes such cost pressure a potential stock headwind. Walmart’s Ad Business Expands: Can High-Margin Growth Lift Profits?

Walmart Price Performance

Shares of WMT traded down $1.09 during trading hours on Tuesday, reaching $106.05. 22,633,471 shares of the company traded hands, compared to its average volume of 25,673,854. The stock has a market capitalization of $841.37 billion, a PE ratio of 38.29, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 4.09 and a beta of 0.59. The stock has a fifty day simple moving average of $110.66 and a 200 day simple moving average of $119.36. Walmart Inc. has a fifty-two week low of $98.88 and a fifty-two week high of $135.15. The company has a quick ratio of 0.23, a current ratio of 0.77 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.41.

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Walmart (NASDAQ:WMT – Get Free Report) last announced its earnings results on Thursday, August 20th. The retailer reported $0.81 earnings per share for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $0.74 by $0.07. The firm had revenue of $187.94 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $186.64 billion. Walmart had a net margin of 3.00% and a return on equity of 21.83%. The firm’s revenue for the quarter was up 5.9% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter in the previous year, the company posted $0.68 EPS. Walmart has set its Q3 2027 guidance at 0.620-0.640 EPS and its FY 2027 guidance at 2.800-2.870 EPS. As a group, research analysts predict that Walmart Inc. will post 2.87 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several analysts have weighed in on WMT shares. Wolfe Research reissued an “outperform” rating and issued a $115.00 target price on shares of Walmart in a report on Friday, August 21st. DA Davidson set a $132.00 price target on Walmart and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research note on Friday, August 21st. KeyCorp reiterated an “overweight” rating on shares of Walmart in a research report on Wednesday, August 12th. Truist Financial set a $114.00 price objective on shares of Walmart and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research note on Friday, August 21st. Finally, Mizuho set a $130.00 target price on shares of Walmart in a research report on Monday, July 27th. Three analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, thirty-two have assigned a Buy rating and four have given a Hold rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $131.88.

Read Our Latest Analysis on WMT

Walmart Company Profile

(Free Report)

Walmart Inc is a multinational retail and technology company that operates supercenters, discount stores, neighborhood markets, e-commerce platforms and membership warehouse clubs. Its merchandise includes groceries, apparel, electronics, home goods, health and beauty products, general merchandise and other consumer products.

Founded by Sam Walton in 1962 and incorporated in 1969, Walmart is headquartered in Bentonville, Arkansas. The company serves customers through operations in the United States and international markets, including Mexico, Canada, China, India and several countries in Central America and Africa.

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